Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Purpose and Scope

Functions as part of the dialysis health care team in providing safe and effective home dialysis therapy and training for patients under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse, in compliance with organization policies and state and federal regulations. Assists in the setup of home dialysis equipment and maintenance of a safe and clean working environment within the home therapy program.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Reinforces home hemodialysis (HHD) and/or peritoneal dialysis (PD) training as permitted by law.
• Identifies and welcomes patients, obtains vital signs and weights, and gathers information for the Clinic Visit Intake form.
• Builds and maintains communication and collaboration with patients, care partners, the HT RN, and other team members.
• Obtains treatment records, reviews for completion, and reports missing or abnormal data to the HT RN.
• Assists with electronic home treatment, medication, and nutritional supplement reconciliation.
• May assist HT RNs with home visits and provides home support as applicable.
• Prepares supplies for laboratory testing and prepares specimens for shipping.
• Disinfects dialysis machines, chairs, tables, and other equipment between patient visits.
• Prepares exam/training rooms and stocks supplies.
• Schedules patient appointments and contacts patients/caregivers regarding dates and reminders.
• Supports patient registration and use of connected health.
• Assists patients and care partners with supplies/inventory ordering and management.
• Maintains logs and tracking and may order clinic/office supplies.
• Participates in medical records, infection control, and other audit processes.
• Helps collect documentation for patient admission and maintains patient charts.
• Performs other clerical duties as assigned.

Home Hemodialysis

• Reinforces HHD training.
• Sets up, tears down, programs, tests, and disinfects the HHD machine.
• Troubleshoots HHD machinery/tools and connectivity issues.
• Prepares dialysate and dialysis supplies for HHD treatment.
• Evaluates dialysis access before treatment and reports abnormal findings to the HT RN.
• Initiates HHD treatment while monitoring and documenting patient status, vital signs, and machine data.
• Performs and documents safety checks at CMS-designated intervals.
• Reports significant changes in patient status to the HT RN.
• Provides interventions during treatment in response to interdialytic events as directed.
• Obtains pre-treatment termination vitals and ensures hemostasis of dialysis access.
• Collects and documents post-treatment vitals and reports to the HT RN.
• Assists with water and dialysate testing.

Peritoneal Dialysis

• Reinforces PD training.
• Troubleshoots PD cycler, modem, and connectivity issues.
• Performs phlebotomy to obtain prescribed laboratory testing as directed.
• Sets up PD cycler and prepares and warms PD solutions.
• Assists with exit site care.
• May help with tracking of PD equipment.

Staff Related

• Participates in the recruitment process for new clinical staff.
• Assists with clinical orientation and supports ongoing training of home therapies personnel.
• Partners with IDT members to improve awareness of Home Therapies.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

Day-to-day work includes desk and personal computer work and interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and various locations within the community. The work environment is characteristic of a health care facility with moderate noise levels and possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases/materials. The position provides direct patient care that regularly involves heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation. Frequent, prolonged periods of standing and bending are required. Employees are required to take Ishihara's Color Blindness test as a condition of employment.

Education and Licenses

• High School diploma or G.E.D. required.
• Must have a valid PCT national certification or state-specific certification as defined by CMS.
• All appropriate state licensure, education, and training required.
• Demonstrated commitment to organization culture, values, and customer service standards.

Experience and Required Skills

• At least two years of previous patient care experience in a hospital setting or related facility preferred.
• Continued employment is dependent on successful completion of the organization's dialysis training program and CPR certification.